History is replete with people who’ve accomplished great things and were duly recognized. From Nobel laureates to soldiers decorated for valor, many exceptional persons have been honored for their actions. But what happens after that recognition?

Being honored once doesn’t mean the rest of your life will live up to your one great accomplishment. Even if it does, times can change, politics can shift, and one person’s bias can mean the recognition you once enjoyed can be stripped away in a heartbeat.

10 The General Who Wanted To Be Flogged By Little Boys

General Eyre Coote had an illustrious military career, for a time. He joined the British royal military at age 14 and was first deployed in America, where he fought on the British side during the Revolutionary War. After returning to England, he then went on to serve in various locales across the world, including Egypt, where he distinguished himself enough to be made a knight of Bath (the form of knighthood usually given for military service). He eventually achieved the rank of general and then went on to serve in several high-ranking political positions.

Although Coote’s career had him climbing the ranks of society, his time stationed in the West Indies was said to have had a lingering “effect on his brain.” Over time, his conduct became so increasingly “erratic” that his superiors decided he was no longer fit for a command. Eventually, he was charged with indecent conduct. Although the case against him was dismissed, the Duke of York was so shocked about its particulars that he had the matter further investigated.

Accounts differ, but it seems that in 1815, Cootes had gone into the Mathematical School at Christ’s Hospital and discussed the topic of flogging with the boys there.^[1] He asked if they had ever been flogged. He asked if they could flog him. He offered them money to do it. After a nurse found him engaged in “discussion,” Cootes was initially brought before authorities, and the matter was dropped after he was both declared mentally unsound during the time of his proposal and made a £1,000 donation to the school (at its request, of course.) The later investigation under the Duke of York, however, decided that Cootes was not mad, just eccentric, and that his conduct was inexcusable. Flogging, boyhood, and knighthood apparently being incompatible, he was dismissed from the military in 1816, and his honors as a knight of Bath were stripped.

9 Richard Vogt’s Censored Speech

Richard Vogt is a prominent herpetologist, a zoologist specializing in the study of amphibians and reptiles. Vogt’s area of study is turtles. As mundane as studying turtles may sound, he was so renowned in his field that the Herpetologists’ League bestowed him its Distinguished Herpetologist Award during the Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists in 2018.

It was revoked the very next day.^[2]

As far as herpetology is concerned, Vogt’s acceptance speech itself was nothing spectacular. It was the content of the accompanying slides that caused such a stir among amphibian and reptile researchers. Vogt’s slides depicted his female students conducting the fieldwork in bikinis. While that in itself was nothing bizarre, since field-workers often do their research in swimwear, Vogt’s pictures were described as “atypical.” They were so revealing that the audiovisual staff felt they had to place blue boxes over parts of the students.

Having been facing the audience, Vogt was apparently unaware of the censorship during his infamous speech, but he might have noticed when several conference attendees suddenly got up and left. Many said that they wondered why Vogt felt it was appropriate to show those kinds of images during such a prestigious conference. Other herpetologists who’d worked with Vogt said that he’d been making similar presentations for the past 20 years.

8 The Nobel Prize-Winning Nazi

Konrad Lorenz was a zoologist and animal psychologist who studied imprinting in baby animals. His work earned him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1973. In 1940, he became a professor at the University of Konigsberg and served as a German army doctor in World War II until he was captured by Russians. After the war, he resumed his educational career and was awarded at least one honorary doctorate for his achievements.

His honorary doctorate at the University of Salzburg, however, was revoked when it came to light that Lorenz had failed to mention he was once a staunch Nazi serving in Germany’s Office of Racial Policy.^[3] An article published by the New York Academy of Sciences stated that he had at one point called for the extermination of certain portions of the population. Aside from this, he had published papers deeming the inferiority of certain classes.

While some consider his papers written during Hitler’s reign “political naivety,” and Lorenz himself attributed his Nazi racial terminology as attempts to provide clarity, others say that he should never have been given a Nobel prize in the first place. Nevertheless, stripping individuals of the Nobel prize is against the Nobel Committee’s rules. It says that the award is given for a person’s achievements, regardless of whatever else they have done.

7 The Royal Photographer, Undone

Ernest Brooks joined the British military at a very young age and was then introduced to photography while in the service of Lady Vivian, the widow of a former British lieutenant general. Brooks photographed Lady Vivian’s guests, and when he managed to sell some of his photos to the local newspaper, it helped spark his desire to pursue a career in photography.^[4]

Brooks used his many connections to eventually land a position as the royal family’s official photographer. He then gained even more fame and prestige photographing the British perspective of World War I. Although Brooks was interested in photographing the reality of war and did not want his photographs to be used for propaganda, the British government used many of his pictures for that very purpose. This won him further renown, albeit not in the way he had wanted.

But for years, the royal family had been dealing with media they found objectionable. The reasons for Brooks’s dismissal were never revealed, but his closeness to the royal family and the (perhaps unwanted) intimacy of the photos that his situation allowed may have played a role in him being stripped of all honors, including the medal for the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, in 1925. His name was also erased from the official registrar.

Whatever prompted the royal family to dole out such a severe punishment to their longtime photographer, Brooks’s fate served as a warning to other photographers and cartoonists who were producing art that the monarchy considered unflattering. However, the very public dismissal of their photographer and erasure of his honors only drew more attention to Brooks’s work and encouraged more like it.

6 The Night Raider

Every year, the Natural History Museum in London has a photography contest. The 2017 winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year in the Animals in their Environment Category was Marcio Cabral, with his striking photo of an anteater approaching a termite mound speckled with bioluminescence. Cabral had stated that he had spent several rain-soaked days at Brazil’s Emas National Park before the anteater in the photograph arrived. Not long after Cabral won the contest, however, the museum received an anonymous tip that the anteater was stuffed.

A taxidermied anteater is kept on display near the visitors’ center at a gate in Emas National Park. The museum set five experts to the task of investigating if the anteater in the picture was, in fact, real or the very same specimen. The experts, consisting of three mammal experts, an anteater expert, and a taxidermy expert, all did independent investigations and concluded that the animal in the picture and the taxidermy specimen were too similar to be different animals.^[5] To Cabral’s credit, he did hand over the raw image files taken before and after the anteater in question appeared, though none of them showed the animal. He also produced a witness saying that he, too, saw the anteater and strongly denies that the picture was staged.

The museum stuck to its decision, however, and disqualified Cabral from the competition. But while he was stripped of his Photographer of the Year award, another winner cannot be named because the judging is done without the names attached to the entry photographs.

5 Miss Earth Lebanon Stripped Of Title After Posing With Miss Earth Israel

The Miss Earth pageant is a beauty pageant designed to promote environmental awareness. The 2018 pageant, however, made headlines for all the wrong reasons. There were 89 countries from all over the globe participating, including Lebanon and Israel. When Miss Earth Lebanon posed for a photo with Miss Earth Israel, she was soon stripped of her title by Lebanese pageant organizers.^[6]

Lebanese law prohibits visitations to Israel or associating with Israelis. After the photo of the pair hit social media, Miss Earth Lebanon lost her title for violating her country’s law. A former Miss Universe contestant from Lebanon also landed in hot water after a selfie with Miss Israel surfaced but was let off with a warning after she said the photo was not taken by her and that she was “ambushed.” Salwa Akar, the former Miss Earth Lebanon, said that when Miss Earth Israel approached her speaking Arabic, she did not know who she was, but Lebanese officials said that her identity was clearly written on her sash and upheld the decision.

After the story hit the news, the Arabic-language spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reposted the picture on Twitter, condemning the the revocation of Akar’s title. Akar herself only uploaded a post on Facebook that did not mention the incident.

4 Little House On The Prairie Deemed Racist

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal was given to authors who’ve made an impact in children’s literature. The award was not given by Wilder herself, nor was it even created by her, but rather the Association for Library Service to Children. They wanted to honor her contribution to children’s literature with her Little House on the Prairie series by naming the award after her. The series was somewhat based on her own life growing up on the plains of the United States, and it gained an even wider audience and even more popularity when it was later made into a television show. As for the award, Wilder herself was the first to receive it in 1954, a few years before her death (although the greater honor was obviously having the award named after her).

That honor, however, was recently retracted. The book series was espoused as family-friendly, but it portrays minorities very negatively and Native Americans as inhuman. It was for this reason that the Association for Library Service to Children decided to remove her name from it. They now call it the “Children’s Literature Legacy Award.” Some think the decision is overlaying modern values on the past, but the Association made their choice because they believe that the values expressed in the Little House on the Prairie series do not align with their own values of inclusiveness and respect.^[7]

3 A Happy Ending For A Sex Toy Company Stripped Of Its Prize

Lora DiCarlo is a company that makes robotic sex toys. It developed a female massager that mimics the sensation of human touch and put it on display at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show. The judges were so impressed by LoraDiCarlo’s product that it received an award in the robotics category. The honor, however, was soon taken away.

The Consumer Technology Association reneged on their award, saying that the product was considered immoral or obscene and did not fit its image. Given that they had known what the product was when they gave it a place in the show, that their judges had given it high marks, and that men’s sex dolls and VR porn are displayed at the show every year, Lora DiCarlo lodged a complaint. They stated that while the CTA seemed perfectly fine with men’s sexuality, when a female sexual product was honored, subsequently calling it obscene was discrimination.

But the tale of the Ose (the name of the female massager) has a happy ending. The founder of YouPorn heard of the company’s plight and offered $50,000 in free advertising for the Ose when it finally hit the market. And in May 2019, the award was reinstated.^[8]

2 Aung San Suu Kyi’s Rise And Fall

Aung San Suu Kyi was the darling of the international community when she received the Nobel Peace Prize while under house arrest in Myanmar. Her relentless work for democracy in Myanmar led not only to the Nobel Prize committee awarding her with its distinguished honor but many other organizations bestowing her with additional awards.

Suu Kyi eventually rose to power in Myanmar as the leader of her Buddhist-majority civilian administration. Although Myanmar forbids the parents or spouses of foreign nationals from becoming president, Suu Kyi was given the title of “state counselor.” The president served as her aid. The military still had veto power over certain aspects of government rule, but progress toward democracy seemed to be moving ahead.

And it seemed to stall just as quickly. The nation’s Rohingya Muslim minority began migrating from Myanmar to Bangladesh after an army crackdown. When the media called the crises “ethnic cleansing,” Suu Kyi was quick to call that “too strong” a label. The genocide was met with a downplayed response from Suu Kyi despite her being viewed as Myanmar’s moral authority.

Calls for Suu Kyi to be stripped of her Nobel Prize arose. Much like Lorenz, however, the Nobel Committee stated that the prize was awarded for her past actions and would not strip her of the award no matter the outcry.

Other organizations had no such rules, however. Amnesty International no longer acknowledges her as a beacon of human rights.^[9] Suu Kyi has likewise lost many of the honors and honorary citizenships given to her due to her denial of human rights violations occurring under her nose.

1 The Soviet Spy Knighted By The Queen

When Anthony Blunt arrived at Cambridge University, socialism was trending among faculty and students, and he became a communist. He then joined the Cambridge Apostles, a group that believed in no moral restraint except loyalty to friends. Among the group was his lover, Guy Burgess, who eventually approached him about becoming a Soviet spy. Displeased with the social and economic climate of Britain, Blunt accepted.^[10]

During World War II, Blunt joined the British army and served in the Army Intelligence Corps. When he returned to England, he was recruited by MI5 and became the head of the division that dealt with communications with foreign embassies. He was the perfectly placed spy and so trusted by the British that he was selected to go on a secret mission for the royal family to obtain potentially damaging documents about the Duke of Windsor’s close connections with Hitler.

Blunt successfully obtained the documents, and he believed they would serve as an insurance policy when he later retired from both MI5 and (somewhat) Soviet spying to become the surveyor of the queen’s pictures. He believed that even if he were outed as a spy, the papers would protect him because the royal family wouldn’t want their secret exposed. Blunt was knighted for his service to England in 1956.

But Blunt was part of a large spy ring, and he’d positioned many operatives himself. When several were caught, the trail inevitably led back to him. While his own “insurance” proved of little value, those in authority decided that the tentative political climate of Britain at the time couldn’t suffer such a scandal. Blunt was offered immunity from prosecution if he confessed, and he did not have to resign from his position as picture surveyor. His treason remained unknown to the public until a book was published detailing the spy ring’s activities. This prompted the government to make a statement explaining why Blunt had not been prosecuted. Authorities stuck to his cooperation deal, but they did strip him of his knighthood.

Mike lives on the East Coast and spends too much on beach parking.

Humans are well known for their love of being honoured. In the pursuit of medals and prizes we will do almost anything. Animals on the other hand take a rather relaxed approach to awards. Yet there are times that animals have performed acts so amazingly brave that humans have felt the need to pin tiny medals on their heroic chests.

Here are ten animals that have won high honours from their human colleagues.

Top 10 Cutest Animals In The World (According To Science)

10 Magawa

Rats are generally not the most respected of animals. But this year a rat called Magawa has been presented with a small gold medal for “lifesaving bravery and devotion to duty.” Magawa is a giant pouched rat who has the dangerous job of clearing landmines in Cambodia. Able to sniff out the explosive devices, but too light to set them off, Magawa has helped to clear an area equivalent to 20 football pitches.

Cambodia is littered with millions of landmines and thousands of people have died from being caught in their blasts. With even the best technology detecting them is a long and unsafe task. Magawa works for just half an hour each morning in return for a small treat and finds landmines that can keep his human handlers busy all day.

Magawa is soon to retire but other rats are being trained to take over his role. If they keep up the good work then they too could win a golden medal.^[1]

9 William Windsor

Not all animals that are given high honours live up to the level of expectation of their humans. Since the time of Queen Victoria the 1st Battalion Royal Welch of the British Army has received a goat as their mascot from the monarch. In 2001 they got goat army number 25232301 – also known as William “Billy” Windsor. Not only is the goat a mascot for the soldiers he is an active member of the army. Billy was given the rank of Lance Corporal.

With his rank any soldier that he outranked would have to stand to attention as the goat trotted by. Unfortunately on his first overseas duty Billy acted in a less than soldierly manner. During a parade Billy refused a direct order from his superior and strayed out of line. For this he was demoted to Fusilier.

Billy soon after regained his rank and has since retired from his position. As well as the honour of his rank Billy had other perks. Each day he was given two cigarettes to eat and a drink of Guinness.^[2]

8 Lucca

The Dickin Medal is among the highest awards animals can receive for bravery. Given by the  People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) charity the medal is only presented to animals who show exceptional gallantry in wartime. Lucca, a dog working with the United States Marine Corps, was the first American dog to receive the British award.

During six years of active service in Afghanistan Lucca took part in over 400 patrols. Sniffing out IEDs that were the bane of those serving in the country Lucca no doubt saved many lives. The final device she identified weighed over 30 kg and had huge destructive power. It was moments later that another one detonated and Lucca suffered burns and injuries. Unfortunately her front leg had to be amputated. Once she recovered Lucca was flown to London to be awarded the Dickin medal.

Lucca was also presented with a purple heart, the medal given to members of the US armed services injured in battle. In an unofficial ceremony when he was given one by a Marine who had twice received the purple heart himself.^[3]

7 GI Joe

The first American winner of the Dickin award however was much earlier and was a pigeon given the name GI Joe. During the Allied advance in Italy during the Second World War Allied troops made such a speedy invasion that they found themselves far ahead of where they were expected. When they captured a village that had been in German hands they were at risk of being bombed by their own planes because no one thought they would be there.

With their radio unable to reach the airbase where the planes were about to launch the troops turned to their last hope – Pigeon USA43SC6390, AKA GI Joe. He got through to the base just in time and the bombing was called off, saving over 100 lives.

The citation that went with the Dickin medal presented to GI Joe read: “This bird is credited with making the most outstanding flight by a USA army Pigeon in World War II, Making the 20 mile flight from British 10th Army HQ, in the same number of minutes, it brought a message which arrived just in time to save the lives of at least 100 Allied soldiers from being bombed by their own planes.” Joe went on to a happy and long retirement after the war.^[4]

6 Kuno

Dogs have long been credited as man’s best friend and it certainly seems that in the battlefield they are. Dogs have often come to their handlers’ defence even at the risk of their own lives. One dog named Kuno suffered a great deal of pain when he leapt into a fight with an al-Qaida gunman.

Kuno was serving alongside the elite Royal Navy’s Special Boat Service when they led an assault on an insurgent compound. Pinned down by machine gun fire and grenades the forces were unable to proceed. Kuno tackled one of the gunmen and allowed his humans to successfully take their target. Kuno suffered gunshots in both his back legs but was saved and carried to safety.

A portion of one leg had to be amputated and Kuno became the first British forces dog to receive custom-made prosthetic legs and can now be found running around in retirement. Kuno has become one of the latest recipients of the Dickin medal.

The British Defence Secretary said “Without Kuno, the course of this operation could have been very different, and it’s clear he saved the lives of British personnel that day.”^[5]

10 Ageless Animals That Do Not Grow Old

5 Reckless

The United States Marine Corps has only once given an official rank to an animal. During the Korean War a pack horse called Reckless rose through the ranks to become Sergeant.

Reckless was an unusually clever horse and was quick to pick up her training. When her fellow soldiers called out “Incoming!” she learned to run for the bunker. Her handlers taught her to avoid barbed wire and to lay down to dodge bullets. But it was her ability to act without human guidance that won her a soldier’s honours.

When her marines came under fire Reckless made 51 trips back and forth under enemy fire to deliver them ammunition and carrying the wounded back from the front. During her trips Reckless was wounded by shrapnel twice. Showing bravery not usually associated with flighty horses Reckless served throughout the battle. One of her troops said “Surely an angel must have been riding her.”

Reckless retired having received two Purple Hearts, two Navy Presidential Unit Citations, a Navy Unit Commendation, four Korean Service medals, and a Marine Corps Good Conduct medal.^[6]

4 Sergeant Stubby

Not all military dogs are large and fearsome beasts. Stubby, as his name suggests, was not a tall dog. He was not even a pure bred dog of long lineage. Stubby was found wandering around Yale University where troops were training for the First World War. Stubby was smuggled on board a ship heading for Europe and was allowed to stay when he saluted an officer.

For 18 months Stubby served with 102nd Infantry Regiment in 17 battles. Stubby offered many services to his fellow soldiers. With his strong sense of smell he was able to alert them to coming gas attacks. He would also bark when he heard German soldiers on the move. As a last resort he acted as Mercy Dog who searched out injured and dying soldiers to comfort them.

Stubby was injured during his service but survived the war to lead an honoured life. He met Presidents Wilson Coolidge, and Harding and was often placed at the head of parades where people would line up to cheer him. Perhaps his greatest honour was to be promoted to Sergeant in the US Army.^[7]

3 Tirpitz the Pig

During the First World War pigs were often kept on board ships where they could be used as a fresh supply of meat. One pig was stationed on the German ship the SMS Dresden and would have had little hopes of surviving the war. When her ship took part in a battle off the Falkland Islands her chances seemed to sink even lower – as her ship was sunk from under her.

Most of the German sailors who abandoned ship swam for the shore but Tirpitz leapt from the ship and swam towards the British vessels. She was spotted and hauled on board the HMS Glasgow. There she won her name, after the German Admiral von Tirpitz, and was given a mock Iron Cross for staying on board the Dresden after the rest of her crew had fled.

Now a mascot for the Glasgow Tirpitz was treated with great respect. Alas she proved to be troublesome and broke into a chicken coop when out on shore-leave. It took ten men to wrestle her back onto the Glasgow. She was retired from the ship and would have to serve the British forces in another way.

Taken to England she was put up for auction with all proceeds going to the Red Cross. Those wanting to size her up before buying her could pay her a visit at the Grosvenor Hotel. The vast sum of 400 guineas was paid for Tirpitz. Little is known about her later life but she did receive one final, if dubious, honour – when she was eaten her head was stuffed and put on display. She can be seen in the Imperial War Museum in London.^[8]

2 Bucephalus

Alexander the Great did not do anything by halves. When he set out to conquer an empire he created the largest one the world had ever seen. And when he wanted to honour his horse his did that in a suitably grand way too.

Alexander’s horse Bucephalus was his companion from a young age. Originally offered to Alexander’s father the horse proved to be un-rideable and wild. Only a youthful Alexander was brave enough to tame him. Seeing Alexander on the horse his father declared “O my son look thee out a kingdom equal to and worthy of thyself, for Macedonia is too little for thee.” And that is what he did.

In all his campaigns Bucephalus was by Alexander’s side. When Bucephalus died Alexander ordered not only a massive funeral for his old friend he also commanded that a city be founded in his honour. Alexandria Bucephalous was built to the east of the Indus river at the far edge of Alexander’s domain.^[9]

1 Cher Ami

In the mud and gas and terror of the First World War it was easy for messages to go astray and never reach their target. Radio was still relatively new, telegraph wires could be cut, and road were often blasted with deep craters. When Major Charles White Whittlesey and 550 men of his men became pinned down none of the runners they sent with messages asking for aid got through. Soon their own side began shelling them because they did not know they were in the area. Whittlesey turned to his carrier pigeons.

Carrier pigeons were so vital to the war effort that British law offered stiff fines or jail sentences for those found to have killed one. The first two that were sent by the trapped men were shot down. With only 194 men left alive all their hopes were placed on the message given to Cher Ami. “We are along the road parallel to 276.4. Our own artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us. For heavens sake stop it.”

Hopes faded immediately when Cher Ami was shot by the Germans in the breast. It fell to the ground but somehow recovered and flew off with its message. The message got through and the men were saved but Cher Ami was left blinded in one eye and with a leg dangling by only a tendon.

Cher Ami was given the best medical care the army had and her life was saved. She was given one of France’s highest honours, the Croix de Guerre, and was sent back to the United States following a ceremony with General John Pershing.^[10]

Top 10 Horrific Ways Animals Were Used For Entertainment

It’s human nature to want to be recognized and acknowledged. Kids want to show off their art to their parents. Employees want to stand out at work. And even citizens of towns or whole countries get some kind of a patriotic thrill out of their place of residence being known for being the best or the biggest or whatever their claim to fame may be. Unfortunately, being a standout isn’t always a good thing, especially when you’re better than everyone else at something unenviable.

10. Lake Michigan is By Far the Deadliest Lake in America

Any body of water is potentially dangerous. Accidents happen on the water all the time and around 4,000 Americans drown every year. But of all the places in America where you need to be wary of getting in the water, no place has a worse reputation than Lake Michigan. 

In 2022, 43 people drowned in Lake Michigan. Its rip currents are infamous and have claimed hundreds of lives over the years. There were 48 deaths in 2021, 56 in 2020 and 48 in 2019. Compare that to other lakes known for their high fatality rates like Lake Champlain in Vermont, where a dozen people per year drown, 

Lake Lanier has claimed 700 lives since 1956 and is sometimes considered America’s most dangerous when averaged out. Accidents, injuries and fatalities are par for the course year after year and it does stand to reason since as many as 10 million people will visit the lake in any given year. Stats show that many of the accidents on the man-made lake are the result of drinking while boating. But even the current yearly stats there are far less than what Lake Michigan is doing.

9. Every County in Mississippi had Teen Pregnancy Rates Above the National Average

In 2012, Mississippi was struggling with the fact that literally every county in the state had a higher teen pregnancy rate than the national average. It was blamed, in part, on the fact that the state had historically not taught sex education in schools and instead tried to rely on abstinence-only education. Obviously that’s not very effective. So they planned to shift to a new educational program to help fix the numbers.

Fast forward to 2020 and Mississippi had indeed lowered their overall rate of teen pregnancy. That said, so had every other state and Mississippi was still the state with the highest teen pregnancy rates in the country. In fact, on a world stage, it’s still pretty bad.

Teen pregnancy rates in Mississippi had been as high as 111 per 1,000 in some countries back in 2012. They lowered that to 71.9 in some counties. But the world rate for teen pregnancy was actually only 42.5 in 2021.

Across the whole state, rates are now down to an average of 27.9 per one thousand. That still puts Mississippi in the number one spot across the United States, but it is getting down closer to some others. 

8. More New Jersey Millennials Live With Their Parents Than In Any Other State

Whether this qualifies as a dubious honor really depends on your own opinions but the media certainly made something of the revelation that Millennials in New Jersey were opting to live with their parents at a far greater number than those in other states. 

Based on US Census data, New Jersey ranked at the top of the list when it came to adult children, aged 18 to 34, who stayed with mom and dad. In 2015, 46.9% of them were still at home. That was an increase of over 10% from 10 years earlier. The national average was 34.1% while North Dakota was at the other end of the scale with just 14.1% sticking around.

Cost of living in New Jersey seems to be a key factor in most Millennials choosing to stay with their parents. It’s too expensive to go independent and finding jobs elsewhere seems to be an issue, though the specific reason why this affects those in New Jersey more than anywhere else isn’t clear.

7. Wyoming’s Suicide Rate is Much Higher Than the National Average

In 2020, about 1.2 million Americans attempted suicide. Nearly 46,000 people succeeded. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death and it crosses through all demographics. But of all the states in America, Wyoming has the most serious problem with this issue.

Wyoming’s suicide rate was an upsetting 30.5 per 100,000. That’s more than twice the national average of 14. It’s also the highest rate per capita. In 2023, while it seems to have gone down slightly to 29.3, it’s still high above all other states. The sheriff of Casper, the state’s largest city, said they respond to suicide calls twice as often as shoplifting ones.

The state has been trying to deal with the issue though the reasons behind it remain complex and puzzling Some have pointed out that Wyoming has long been the heart of “cowboy country” and a place where men stereotypically keep their thoughts and feelings to themselves, where you have to “man up” rather than address serious issues.

6. Kentucky Has the Highest Cancer Rates in the Country

Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the United States behind heart disease. On average, there are 438 cases of cancer per every 100,00 Americans and nearly 2 million people per year will be diagnosed. 

A state like New Mexico comes in on the far end of the scale with 361.1 cases per 100,000, making them one of the lowest in the entire country and a fair degree below the national average. But Kentucky has the unfortunate distinction of being on the opposite end of things. There are 510.2 cases per 100,000 in Kentucky, giving it the highest cancer rates in the country. It also has the highest rate of cancer deaths as well. 

Breast cancer and lung cancer were the two most common types in the state. The exact reasons can’t really be broken down clearly but anything from diet and weight to physical activity and pollution can contribute to rates.

5. The Murder Rate in St. Louis is Massively Higher Than the National Average

In 2020, the homicide rate in the United States was 6.52 murders per 100,000. That was historically higher than it had been since 2001. While bigger cities are often cited as being unsafe, with New York and Chicago as stand outs for their violence, neither comes particularly close to being the deadliest cities in the country, an honor which is taken by St. Louis. 

In 2019, there were 194 murders in St. Louis. That rose to 263 in 2020, 200 in 2021 and 200 again in 2022. Per 100,000 residents, that’s a murder rate of 69.4. Compared to the national average of 6.52, that’s a staggering increase.

Baltimore is the second deadliest city, and the rate drops considerably to 51.1. Chicago, often reference for its gun violence in the media, is down in the 10th spot with 24 murders. In 2017, new York’s murder rate was just 3.7, which didn’t even rank in the top 50.

4. Hawaii’s Cost of Living is Far Higher Than the Rest of the Country

Hawaii is the one state in America that qualifies as a tropical vacation destination. Nearly one million people visit Hawaii every month so it’s safe to say people love to visit there. That said, living there may be another matter altogether as the cost of living in Hawaii is remarkably higher than it is anywhere else in America. 

After Manhattan, Honolulu is the most expensive city in America in which to live, with a cost of living 97.6% above the national average. It also works out to more than 20% higher than the average wage. This is chiefly due to the remote location of the island state. All supplies are flown or shipped in by boat and that makes everything more expensive. Groceries are 60% more expensive in Honolulu than the average across the country with eggs averaging three times the price of any other city. 

The average home in Hawaii is over $730,000 and only 29% of residents can afford home ownership. The median two-bedroom apartment costs $1,651 across the state while in Honolulu a two-bedroom place will set you back $3,500.

3. Billings, Montana Has the Highest Rate of Depression in America

We’ve already seen that Wyoming has the highest suicide rate in America but that may be, in part, because people are not as open to seeking help for things like depression. If they did, perhaps the statistics in Billings, Montana would be different. Billings has the highest rate of depression in the country.

About 7.1% of the entire US population has been diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Keep in mind, that’s just the people diagnosed so the real number is likely much higher, it’s just that many people have not sought help. 

On a city level, Billings, Montana has a rate of 31% of its citizens diagnosed with depression. That’s over four times the national average. Only two other cities ranked over 30% and those were Knoxville and Kingsport-Bristol.

Why would Billings be such a hub for depression? There are actually a number of potential causes that have been looked into that range from vitamin D deficiency to altitude to high prevalence of demographics most susceptible to depression and mental illness. 

2. West Virginia is the Most Overweight State in America

There’s been no shortage of media coverage for decades now about the average American’s diet and weight and often, though erroneously, America is often considered the “fattest” country in the world. That doesn’t change the fact that many Americans do live unhealthy lifestyles and about 30.7% are overweight.

Amongst all states. West Virginia is the standout for being the most overweight. Only West Virginia and Kentucky have a prevalence of self-reported obesity above 40% and while Kentucky ranked at 40.3%, West Virginia came in at 40.6%.  

1. Louisiana Ranks as the Most Polluted State in America

Louisiana is known for a lot of things including Cajun cuisine and Mardi Gras but it also holds the more troubling distinction of being the most polluted state in the country as well.

The state is loaded with industrial plants that produce high levels of toxins which have polluted air quality and waterways for years now. In 2022, studies linked the remarkably high cancer rates in Louisiana to their extreme air pollution. It’s so bad that the stretch between Baton Rouge and New Orleans is literally known as Cancer Alley.